The present invention is directed to a semiconductor device and more particularly to a semiconductor device with an integral heat sink.
In current semiconductor device packaging, thermal dissipation paths for heat generated by the encapsulated semiconductor die are limited. Typically, the heat is conducted through the packaging to the top surface of the package, where it is then dissipated to the environment. In addition, heat may also be conducted, for example via an exposed pad, to a circuit board on which the package is mounted. The heat is then conducted through the circuit board and thereafter is dissipated to the environment.
However, such limited heat conduction and dissipation paths may not be sufficient to adequately cool the semiconductor die, which can lead to overheating and damage or destruction of the device. At the same time, smaller sizes and profiles for semiconductor packages, such as Quad Flat Packages (QFP) and Small Outline Integrated Circuits (SOIC), are constantly being sought as technological devices utilizing the semiconductor packages continue to shrink, thereby shrinking the available area for heat dissipation.
A common solution has been to add a separate heat sink to the device to improve thermal performance. This requires additional materials and attachment steps that can increase the production time and cost, and can also result in the size of the completed package being larger than desired.
It is therefore desirable to provide a semiconductor device that allows for more efficient cooling of the contained semiconductor die, but which does not require the attachment of separate heat sinks.